One of the pressing concerns of 21st-century individual and congregational spiritual life is the question of depth. To be blunt, there isn’t much. Study after study has revealed the sad truth that much of what we call faith and commitment is actually a thin veneer of religious ritualism that wilts at the first hint of stress. It is stunning to watch long-term, regular participants in a congregation’s life resort to all manner of psycho-babble or afternoon talk show wisdom when confronted with a crisis. Every pastor has watched in dismay as life-long believers revert to their worst and darkest selves when things don’t go their way. The self-absorption of our culture has come to define our churches. Affluenza is not just a cute way to describe the American way of materialism; it is what robs would-be disciples of the joy of authentic stewardship of all our life and possessions.
The list goes on and on.
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